Project 2010 - Week 1

I am tired ~ too much cheering during the Super Bowl, I guess. :) This should have been posted on the other blog but I will keep it here for the time being. This week was good. I was able to complete a few things and I will show pictures ... not because they are the most amazing things you will ever see, but because I hope to motivate someone and keep myself honest with this challenge. So ... the first little project was an adorable little dress I made for Miss Molly. I used a pattern I had purchased a bit back {Grandma Lola's Dress by the very talented Chitter Chatter Designs} Lindsey posted a pic on her blog so you can go have a peek there and see how adorable Miss Molly is! It was sooo much fun to make and it takes less than a fat quarter! I do have a few of those around here!

The second item I did was transforming an old skirt - at least 8+ years old. I always loved the fabric and color but never the cut of the skirt. Seriously. I am 5' 2 3/4" on a good day. What was I thinking?? It was the fabric and the color - I loved it! So I chopped it off at the bottom and cut 4 - 2 1/2" strips from that piece. Next I stitched those strips together and ruffled that long piece. I opened up the side seam a little and set in the ruffle for about 4" and then slightly curved the edge and as I brought the ruffle out of the side seam and just sewed it around the bottom of the skirt. I curved the back at the corner and brought it up to the seam - tapering it in a bit. That was it! Now I have a skirt out of fabric I love to look at AND wear!! It just makes sense, right? And as a little bonus I found these adorable little open-toed, sling back sandals at Payless. $19.99. Cheap & Cute!! They are going fast if you want a pair!

Saturday we went through closets and hauled out at least 5 huge bags to the DI! Gotta love that feeling! Just for fun I poked my nose in one of Emily's and pulled this top out. There was a yellow stain on the front and it didn't fit her any more. I LOVED the fabric and wanted to see if I could figure out how to make a pleated headband. It was pretty easy as you can see in the photos and I think it turned out pretty sweet. And I still have the back of the shirt to work into something...

The piece I used for the pleated top of the headband was 10.5" x 12.5". There are abou 6 folded pleats. After you serge or turn under and hem the two long edges, you fold it like a fan - just like you did in first grade. Press the edges, pin and then using the hem edge of the shirt, I inserted the pleated edge into the small opening. Each tie measured about 9 inches. I knoted the ends. If you wanted to use elastic you could insert in into the salvaged hem piece and pull it through with a safety pin - extend both edges of the elastic out the ends of the casing and carefully join the pleated portion to either end.

I don't think I will get very high marks for this tutorial.

I asked Em if she would model for me because I thought I was too old to wear headbands and I have pretty short hair. She assured me that no one is too old to wear headbands. Well as you can see in the crazy photos below - headbands make you fell quite young and spunky! I found out why the girls are always in the den for hours laughing hysterically with their friends. It's "photo booth" on our mac. Holy cow people. I was laughing my head off and I was all by myself. I found some pretty funny pictures in the archive so since I was posting some silly ones of me, I wanted some company! If you are every bored or need a good laugh, come on over and we'll have a little photo shoot!

Last Sunday I decided to pull out a box of photos and memorabilia from a trip Mark & I had taken to Pennsylvania way back in 1999. It was long past time to get these memories into a book. It really didn't take much more than an hour or so and I checked something off my long list of things to do! Great Sunday night activity and I have plenty more projects along these sames lines to keep me out of trouble during the upcoming year.

That was Week 1 of Project 2010
How did the rest of you do?